The background description provided herein is for the purpose of generally presenting the context of the disclosure. Work of the presently named inventors, to the extent it is described in this background section, as well as aspects of the description that may not otherwise qualify as prior art at the time of filing, are neither expressly nor impliedly admitted as prior art against the present disclosure.
Techniques for determining geographic locations of objects depicted in photographs can be used in various three-dimensional (3D) modeling and mapping applications. For example, some of the software mapping systems that provide interactive digital maps generate 3D streetscapes, which allow users to virtually walk or drive down streets, inspect structure from various angles, and otherwise interact with objects in virtual 3D space. These mapping systems can operate in applications designed specifically to provide digital maps, or in general-purpose applications such as web browsers, for example. In general, mapping systems can run on desktop, laptop, tablet computers, mobile phones, PDAs, and/or other computing devices.